Robert w



(No Model.)

R. W. PAIN.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

Patented Jan. 20,1891.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT V. PAIN, OF NE YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE AEOLIAN ORGAN ANDMUSIC COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

M USICAL INSTRU MENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 445,075, dated January20, 1891.

Application filed January 23,1889. Serial No. 297,280. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern: and vice versa. A rod II extends between IBe it known that I, ROBERT \V. PAIN, of each pair of valves H H so as torender it New York, in the county and State of New impossible for bothvalves to be closed at the York, have invented a certain new and usesametime. 5 ful Improvement in Musical Instruments, of Each valve llconsists of a lever hinged at 55 which the following is a specification.one end by flexible material 7r or otherwise The accompanying drawingillustrates a to the top of the reed-board and extending verticalsection of a portion of a musical inover the vertical portion g of oneof the ducts strument embodying my improvement, the before mentioned. Itmay be faced on the section being taken transverselyto the length underside with any suitable material to ob- 60 of the instrument. viateleakage. A spring h impinges upon it A designates one of thesound-producing and tends to force it to its seat. devices of thisinstrument. It is shown as Each valve H is made in the form of aleconsisting of a reed and is located in a cell ver, hinged at one endto theunder side of the I B, communicating with what is ordinarilyreed-board bytlexible material 7t or otherwise 65 termed a wind-chestThis wind-chest and extending under the lower end of the communicatesthrough passages c with an vertical portion 9 of one of the said duets.equalizer D. The equalizer isin communica- It may be provided with anysuitable facing tion with bellows E, of which there may be materialopposite the said duct to prevent any desirable number. In the presentinleakage. A spring 7r impinges against the 70 stance these aresuction-bellows, and hence under side of each valve H tending to forcewhen they operate they attenuate the air it upwardly to its seat. Zachvalve II is within the wind-chest. The equalizer and shown as having anarm 7r extending rearthe bellows may be of ordinary construction wardlyfrom it. Above the arm h" of each and can be combined in the usual orany valve 11' a pneumatic motor I is arranged other suitable manner. Thebellows may be within the wind-chest C,its exterior being exoperated byrods E from a treadle or in any posed to the wind-chest and its interiorcomother ordinary way. The cells of the reeds muuicating with a duct 2',which terminates eomniunicatewith achamberF, opening to the in a trackerJ. The arm 70 of each valve H o atmosphere. With eachreed-eelliscombined is preferably provided with an adjustable So a valveG, which may be aptly described as contact-piece 705, which mayadvantageously a palletwalvc and pneumatic motor combe made in the formof a screw. The pneubined. The interior of each pallet and pneumaticmotor 1, corresponding to each valve matic G is in free communicationwith a duct H operates upon the contact-piece 7r of such 3 5 consisting,as here shown, of an upright porvalve to lower the same in order to openthe 8 tion g, communicating with said pallet and corresponding duct g gpneumatic, a horizontal portion 9 extending It must be understood thatthere will be for g from the portion g, and a vertical portion 9 eachreed a pallet and pneumatic G, a duet extending from. the portion Theportion g g g, a pair of valves ll. IP, with their ap' g is at the upperend open to the atmosphere purtenances a pneumatic motor I, and a duct 0and at the lower end in communication with terminating in the tracker J.These parts the wind-chest C. The vertical portion 9 of will be variedin number, according to the each duct g g 1 has combined with it twonumber of notes the instrument is to have. valves H 11". The valve H isabove the reed- The tracker J has passed over it a perfo- 5 board andcontrols the communication of the rated musicsheet controlling theingress of 5 duct with the atmosphere. The valve 11 is air from theatmosphere through the ducts '2; arranged within the wind-chest andcontrols to the pneumatic motors I. \Vhen airin this the communicationof the duct with the windway is permitted to enter one of the ducts 1',chest. When the valve H of any duct g 9 it will expand the correspondingpneumatic 5o g isopemthecorrcspondingvalve HHS closed, motor I, becausethe atmospheric pressure [O0 thus admitted to the interior of said motorwill be greater than the pressure within the wind-chest C. The lowerboard of the motor will then move downwardly and force open 5 thecorresponding valve H against the resistance of its spring 71.3. Theopening of the valve H will permit the corresponding valve ll to close.Communication between the corresponding palletand pneumatic G throughits duct g g g with the atmosphere will then be cut off, andcommunication will be simultaneously established between the pallet andpneumatic G through the duct g g g with the wind-chest O. The pallet andpneumatic G will then collapse, its lower movable board rising. Airwillthen pass into the corresponding reed-cell and sound the reed therein.In considering the operation of the pallet and pneumatic it is importantto note that the area of its lower board exposed to the reedcell is muchless than the interior area of that board; hence the action which I havedescribed Each pallet and pneumatic G has combined with it a stop toprevent its lower board from rising too far. This may advantageously bemade of an adjustable pin or screw K, inserted in the reed-board abovethe pallet and pneumatic and extending down into the interior of the.latter.

I have thus far explained the operation of the musical instrument. undercontrol of the traveling music-sheet. 'I will now describe the operationfrom manual keys L. These keys L are supported and operated in the usualway upon a key-block M.

Then one of the keys L is depressed, it will close the correspondingvalve H and open the valve H It does not operate upon these valves only.Interposed between each key L and the corresponding valves H H is alever N,which at one end is pivotally connected by flexible materialc orotherwise to the rear portion of the reed-board. It extends for- 5wardly over the valve H',with which it coacts.v

It receives within it a pin 0, that is affixed to the. opposite valve HA spring P, shown as consisting of a flat strip of metal, is secured toeach leverN and extends over the opening that accommodates the pin 0.\Vhen the lever occupies a certain position, as here shown, the springPrests upon the top of this pin 0.

If the lever is swung'downwardl'y beyond this point, it will close thevalve H with a yielding pressure, due to the spring P. Each lever N hascombined with it a guide Q,whichhas the function of a stop, and is shownas made in the form, of aserew, it being, when so made, adjustable. Aspring R is arranged beneath,

each, lever N and tends to press it. upwardly. The stop Q limits theupward movement of the lever N under the influence of the spring R.Between each lever N and its corresponding keyLisinterposed a pinS,which fits loosely in a hole in the key-block. When a keyL isdepressed, it will act through its pin S to depress the opposite leverN. The depression of the lever N will cause the valve II- to be closedwith a yielding pressure, owing to the presence of the spring P, andcause the simultaneons opening of the valve H During the closing of'thevalve H by the lever N the spring P will be slightly deflected by thetime the valve is held seated. The stop Q, is to be so adjusted as topreserve a proper initial coaction between the spring P and valve-pin 0.It will be seen that the movement of the valve II is infinitesimalcompared with the movement of the key necessary to operate it. Thespring P insures an operative connection at all times between the leverN and valve H, as it compensates for shrinking and swelling of materialdue to changes of the weather, inasmuch as it maybe deflected more orlessin the operation of the lever N as such changes occur. The key maynevertheless be fingered with all the ordinary advantages. The spring Pof each lever has also the additional function of compensating forchanges incident to variations in the weather, inasmuch as it is free toyield or straighten out to compensate for changes between the valve Hand itself, as also changes in the reed-board, while its stop-pinQremains unadjusted. The alignment of the lever will therefore not bedisturbed by changes in the weather.

The adjustable stop K, which is combined with the pallet and pneumaticG. is important, in that it affords a ready means for regulatin g theamount of movement of each pallet and pneumatic. As the pallet andpneumatic for one note will require less movement than the pallet andpneumatic for another note, this facility for regulating the movement isimportant, especially when it is remembered that unnecessary movement ofthe palletand pneumatic for any note will interfere with its correct.action.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. In a musical instrument, the combination, with a reed-cell, of acombined palletvalve and pneumatic motor arranged at the outer sidethereof and communicating internally through ductsv g g g with theatmosphere and the wind-chest, substantially as specified.

2. In a musical instrument, the combination, with the pallet-valve orpneumatic G, of

tion, wit-l1 a valve controlling the speaking of I a sound-prod ucingdevice, of a key, a lever interposed between, the key and the valve, anda spring transmitting motion from the lever tothe valve, substantiallyas specified.

5. In a musical instrument, the combination, with a valve provided withan upwardly-extending pin and controlling the speaking of asound-producing device, of a key, a lever interposed between the key andthe valve and receiving the pin of the valve, and a spring attached tothe lever and bearing upon the pin, substantially as specified.

6. In a musical instrument, the combination, with a valve controllingthe speaking of 10 a sound-producing device, of a key, a springproviding a direct yielding connection between the Valve and key, and anad nstablc stop preserving; a proper initial coaction between the springand valve, substantially as specified.

1R0 BERT W. PAIN.

Witnesses:

O. R. FERGUSON, WM. IT. ROBINSON.

